Water-distilling apparatus



C. E. KELLS.' wATEPl DISNLLING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED IULY 26, X919.

1,366,465. Patented Jan. 25, 1921.

S14/newton @Mythe/50e C Z'dmU/d [fella physicians, surgeons and dentists who gen- 'UNITED STATES PATENT ePrice.

WATER-DISTILLING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 25, 1921.

Application filed July 26, 1919. Serial No. 313,481.

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHARLES EnnUNn KELLs, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Qrleans and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Water-Distilling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.'

This invention relates to apparatus ior distilling water, vparticularly tor the use of erally require small quantities `of freshly distilled water from day to day or for constant use.

It is important that water for 4such purposes should befdistilled in apparatus consisting entirely .or mainly of glass in preferenceto metal, as the distilled water'is often used for injections and absolute purity is essential.` vStills of lthis kind, as commonly 4 constructed, require constant watching in embodying .myV improvements.

order that the water supply shall not fail, because otherwise the glass flask-or still will be cracked, burned or broken by the heat of the burner. Y

According to myinvention I provide a glass-and which is automatic in the control of the water supply and the heating medium, sothat the pi'oper amount of water is constantly provided for normally keeping the water in the flask lor still at the proper level and the proper amountof heating medium admitted to the burner to carry on the operation, and which is so constructed also that should the water supplyiail or become iiisuilicieiit the heating medium Vwill be at once and automatically cut off so that breakage of any part of the apparatus due to over-heating is prevented.-

The drawing shows diagrammatically, and mainly section, a distilliiig apparatus A glass flask or still. A is connected by a glass pipe B to'a condenser C, also made-o1nglass. The condenser delivers to a suitable receptacle D below it, and the condenser cony .rtainsa pipe, E through :which a cooling medium circulates.` All parts ot the'apparatus 4with whichv the distilled water comes in contact are preferably made ot glass, and y the condenser, still, and other parts oic the apparatus heretofore described, are supported on suitable brackets or standards.

.The burner F is suitably suppoited'be-V new?. the @ask .A and iS Suppliedbypipe G provided with a valve g and also with a similar valve at g. The valvesg, g are automatically operated in the manner hereinafter described. A third valve g2 is also carried by the pipe (i which is hand-operated for the purpose or" shutting oft the fuel sunply when the apparatus is out of operatioii.

Tater is Ysupplied to the apparatus through a service pipe H which may be connected with a city water supply system or to a tank and this pipe is equipped with a valve it by means of which the supply may be turned on or off as required to the desired extent. The pipe H delivers to a. tank VK which is connected by al pipe L to the flask or still. A. The pipe` L is lexibleor has iieXible parts so that the tank can move `to a receiver 0,'having a discharge pipe 0.

The tank is also provided with a very small drain pipe n which 'delivers to said receiver t). By this means the tank may be emptied when the water supply is shut off. The overflow pipe .N is so connected with the tank K. that the water therein is normally maintained at the same level as the water in the iask A, and the valve 7i should be so adjusted as to maintain this level. Y

Owing, however, to irregularities yin the water-pressure and'other causes, the operation of maintaining the constant water level cannot be relied on implicitly and hence' I have provided means for automatically cutting o the heating medium should the water level fall to an unsafe extentV and when the receiver vD is filled tothe desired extent. The tank K is supportedon a platform R, pivoted at 7" to a standard r', Ysupported on a platform or bracket s1de of the pivot or fulcrumk the platform carries a weight T which is sufficient to overbalance the tank when the water level falls.

ytY indicates a stop for limiting the down- S. On one Y ward movement of theV platform on that side which carries the tank.v Said platform R on the opposite side of the pivot vconnects with an arm u of a weighted valve The arrangement is `such that when-the water level is properlymaintainedin the tanky K the `parts will `occupy'the position shown in the drawings, but should the Water supply fail and the water level fall to too greatV an extent, or tall below the level of thelpipe L,1then lthe weighted end of the platform will so operate on the valve g as to close .w to a suitable standard.

, ofthe weighted end of the platform is limited by a stop Y. The weighted end of the .platform connects with the weighted Valve g, and the operation is such that normally the valve is open and fuel is supplied to the burner, but `when the receiver is filled the weighted end of the platform `W will operate on the valve g to close it and shut off the supply of fuel.

In starting the operation, the valve is V opened and the tank K filled until it overflows through the pipe N. After this, the valve h is partially closed and left open only to such extent as to let water descend drop by drop to the tank. The valves g, g

. are properly set to admit fuel, and the valve Vg2 is opened and the burner is lighted. The

water in the still is allowed to boil for a few minutes to generate steam which passes through the condenser and escapes into the receptacle D. This is for the purpose of sterilizing the apparatus. The receptacle l), however, has already been sterilized. The cooling medium is then allowed to circulate, very slowly at first, through the condensing coil, and the valve la is so set as to keep the Y .water level constant in the tank K and by means of the connections described the water level in the flask or still A will be kept at the same level irrespective of how slowly Vor lhow rapidly the water boils away. -In this way the water level in the flask is automatically maintained and danger of breakage is f prevented.

ki5 A when are receptacle D for the distilled water becomes filled it overcomes the force 'of the weight X and the 'platform is tilted andthe gas supply shut off so that the operation automatically comes to an end.

u The supply of water through the pipe II isnormallyv in excess of the water boiled Y .away .in the flask, the surplus overflowing Y throughv the pipe N. Should the water supf ply to the pipe H-fail, the apparatuswill Vbe.V automatically operated to stop the fuel supply tothe burner inthe manner before described; I

Y I; Iy claim as my invention: `1

' A distillingY apparatus, comprising a still for the water, a burner for heating the gfstill, means for suppyling fuel to theburner,

lmeans for condensingv the'products vof distillation, a supply tankrfor the still, and

means operated by the decrease in weight of water in sald tank for shutting off the fuel supply when the water level in the tank falls below a 'safe level. K

2. Apparatus lfor"`distilling water, comprising a still, a burner for heating it, means for supplying fuel to the burner, means for condensing the products of distillation, a balanced tank connected with'the still for supplying -it with'y water, means for maintaining the waterV in the still at the same level as the water in the tank, and means operated by the weight of the tank and contents for controlling'the supply of heating medium to ythe burner.

3. A Vdistilling apparatus, comprising a still, a burner for heating-the still, a fuel supply pipe for feeding the burner, a tank connected with the StilL'means for maintaining the water in the still and in the tank at the same level, counterbalancing devices for the tank and a valve connectedA with said counterbalancing devices whichis closed to cut ofll the fuelrsupply when the water level in the tank falls below a safe level. Y Y

4. Apparatus for distilling water, comprising a still, a burner lfor heating it. means for condensing theproducts of distillation, a receiverfor the distilled water, a weighted platform on which said receiver is supported, and means operated by'said weighted platformv for turning off the fuel supply when'said receiver is filled to a predetermined extent. Y 1 l' 5. A .distilling apparatus comprising a flask having an opening in its upper portion for the exit of products of distillation and an opening in its ,lower portion for the entrance of liquid to be distilled, a tank for supplying the flask with liquid, means for condensing the products of distillation, and means located outside the tank and operated by the weight of water in the tank for automatically maintaining a constant liquid level in said tank.

6. A distilling apparatus, comprising a still, a burner for heating thestill, means for supplying fuel to the burner, means for condensing the products of distillation, a tank for containingwater, a flexiblevconnection between the tank and the lower portion of the still, means for supplying water to the tank, a balancedy platform on which the tank is supported, a valve in the fuel supply, and means operated by the platform for shutting olf the fuel supply.

7; A' distilling apparatus` comprising a 120k still, a burnerV for heating the still, a pipe for supplying fuel to the burner. means for 'condensing the products of` distillation,

means for supplying water to the still, a receiver for the condensed Huid, a counterbal- Yanced platform on which the receiver is supported, a valve in the fuel supply pipe, and means operated by the platform for closing the valve when the receiver is filled.

8, A distilling apparatus comprising aV still, a burner for heating the still, means for supplying fuel to the burner, means for condensing the products of distillation, a receiver for the condensed fluid, and means located outside the receiver and controlled by the Weight of liquid in the'receiver for regulating the supply of fuel.

9. A' distilling apparatus, comprising a still, a burner for heating the still, means 10 for supplying fuel 'to the burner, means for port for cutting oil the fuel supply When 15 the liquid in the receiver reaches a predetermined height or Weight.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

CHARLES EDMUND KELLS. 

